Maine state trooper injured after cruiser rear-ended, hits vehicle he pulled over during traffic stop

A Maine state trooper is recovering after he was rear-ended by another vehicle during a highway traffic stop on Saturday night, authorities said.

The cruiser that Trooper Patrick Flanagan was in spun around and hit the vehicle he had pulled over. Flanagan and the two other drivers suffered non-life-threatening injuries, Maine State Police said in a news release.

Flanagan's emergency lights were activated on the southbound Maine Turnpike in Biddeford when his cruiser was struck, police said.

Flanagan and the 25-year-old driver of the vehicle that struck his were taken to hospitals. The driver was issued a summons.

The circumstances that led up to the crash are under investigation, police said.

It was the third vehicle crash into a state police cruiser within 48 hours, according to police reports.

The other two crashes happened in Gardiner and Gouldsboro, CBS affiliate WGME reported. There were no injuries in the other two.

In:
• Car Crash
• Maine